This book focuses on the role of the endocannabinoid system in local and systemic inflammation, with individual chapters written by experts in the field of cannabinoid research and medicine. The topics explore the actions of the endocannabinoid system on the immune system, including neuroinflammation in autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and in neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's and Alzheimer's, as well as local and systemic inflammatory conditions affecting organs including the eye (uveitis and corneal inflammation), the bladder (interstitial cystitis), pancreas (diabetes), cardiovascular system (stroke), joints (arthritis), and sepsis. The objective of this book is to provide knowledge transfer on the use of cannabinoids in inflammatory disease by critically examining preclinical and clinical research on the immunomodulatory actions of the endocannabinoid system, with specific emphasis on the actions of cannabinoids in diseases where inflammation is a prominent component. By drawing these results together, we seek to provide further understanding of the complexities of endocannabinoid system modulation of immune function and identify potential uses and limitations for cannabinoid-based therapeutics.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Variability in pathogenesis and complex pathophysiology often delay diagnosis and create significant challenges for clinical studies in this group of critically ill patients. Mainly for those reasons, there is no therapy approved so far to overcome the underlying immune dysregulation. This book provides an overview about the state of the art of sepsis diagnostics and potential future therapies. Chapter 1 focuses on the immunologic staging of sepsis-the key for successful treatment of the dysregulated hot response. Chapter 2 reveals similarities in the immune response in sepsis and cancer-opening new avenues for novel therapies. Chapter 3 introduces an important modulator of the immune response-the endogenous cannabinoid system and elucidates its role in organ dysfunction in sepsis. Facing the increasing bacterial resistance to classical antibiotics, Chapter 4 discusses two unique mechanisms to treat infection and inflammation in sepsis: iron chelation, and the sphingosine pathway. The authors, all experts in experimental and clinical sepsis research, seek to provide further understanding of the complexities of the immune response as the physiological basis for the development of new therapeutics in sepsis.

This book focuses on the role of the endocannabinoid system in local and systemic inflammation, with individual chapters written by experts in the field of cannabinoid research and medicine. The topics explore the actions of the endocannabinoid system on the immune system, including neuroinflammation in autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and in neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's and Alzheimer's, as well as local and systemic inflammatory conditions affecting organs including the eye (uveitis and corneal inflammation), the bladder (interstitial cystitis), pancreas (diabetes), cardiovascular system (stroke), joints (arthritis), and sepsis. The objective of this book is to provide knowledge transfer on the use of cannabinoids in inflammatory disease by critically examining preclinical and clinical research on the immunomodulatory actions of the endocannabinoid system, with specific emphasis on the actions of cannabinoids in diseases where inflammation is a prominent component. By drawing these results together, we seek to provide further understanding of the complexities of endocannabinoid system modulation of immune function and identify potential uses and limitations for cannabinoid-based therapeutics.

A major goal of transplantation research is to develop a specific immune unresponsiveness to alloantigen. Oral administration of antigen prior to systemic challenge has been demonstrated to suppress systemic immune responses, and this antigen specific suppression is termed oral tolerance. This book assesses whether oral tolerance can be used to prolong kidney allograft survival and investigates the mechanisms by which this survival is prolonged. The book described that oral exposure to alloantigen prolongs kidney allograft survival in rats in an allospecific manner. The prolongation is due to a generation of CD8+ T regulatory (Treg) cells in the recipient. The CD8+ Treg cells are present in the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes and kidney allograft and able to transfer the graft prolongation to nave recipient. These Treg cells may shift immune responses towards type 2 responses and delete alloreactive T lymphocytes through Fas/FasL interaction.